Pasta Tricolore
by BlueAngel137
Summary: Second part of my X-Mas in July 2008 present for Lisa. S1, M/L as always
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my Christmas in July present for Lisa.

Her wishes:

1) Max gets trapped on an Eyes Only mission and Logan has to rescue her

2) Kendra and Max go on a double date

3) Logan goes to Sketchy's house

4) Max and Logan actually eat somewhere other than his kitchen

5) somebody has to have their shirt off (preferable Logan in a smutty context)

I'm so sorry, Lisa. But I've warned you, right? Two months should have been enough to write this story. :-( But I fulfilled only one of your wishes in this chapter. SORRY! I hope to get the next part ready asap. MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

Hope you enjoy.

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**"****PASTA TRICOLORE"**

_Max'__s and Kendra's apartment, 7:30 A.M._

"**You won't believe what I've dreamt tonight**," Kendra announced in a sing-song voice that was completely uncharacteristic for her this early in the morning. She took a seat on the worn out chair across the kitchen area and cradled a cup of coffee in both hands. Normally Max's roommate wasn't exactly a morning person, and her weird behavior caused Max to scrutinize her critically.

Kendra's flushed cheeks and brightly shining eyes let Max's eyebrows shoot together in confusion. _No … honestly … she was kinda sure she didn't want to hear what her friend's dream had been about._

Kendra looked up at her over her cup of strong, steaming "almost real" coffee, still wearing a light-blue sleeping shirt and shorts, her eyes challenging and even a bit teasing.

"Nope," Max decided not to raise to the bait and shrugged, leaning her back against the fridge. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to tell her friend that she should keep her exciting dreams to herself and instead covered her sarcasm with a half smile as she continued: "But I'm sure you're gonna let me in on this mystery."

And as expected Kendra decided to ignore her friend's lack of interest and said: "I've dreamt of hot boy." She paused a moment to let the statement sink in and added in a throaty whisper: "And damn, he **was** hot."

Max almost choked on the sip of coffee that ran down her throat and uneasily shifted her weight from one foot to the other, pictures of Logan floating through her mind …

… _Logan lying on his exercise table__, wearing only shorts, doing a series of sit-ups, smooth, strong muscles carved into his abdomen … _

… _Logan exciting his bathroom, a cloud of hot steam following him, the soft hair curling on his chest, a big drop of water wandering downward from the disheveled hair and over his neck … his eyes dark and a slightly embarrassed look on his face … _

**STOP IT, MAX!**

She took another gulp of hot coffee before she finally asked innocently, putting just the right amount of boredom into her voice: "Which hot boy?" Deciding she'd been right all along. She really didn't want to know.

Kendra rolled her eyes: "**Your** hot boy … roller boy … sugar-daddy," she verified exasperated, tilting her head to one side and looking at Max as if she was dumb … or blind … or both, knowing perfectly well that her beautiful, dark haired roommate hid a razor sharp brain behind her cool smart-ass façade. The only problem seemed to be that the same very clever brain didn't seem to work when men were involved.

"Logan is neither my hot boy nor a sugar daddy," Max snapped hotly but instantly regretted her reaction as she saw the amused grin on Kendra's lips.

"Yeah, right," the blonde shrugged, still smiling. "But sugar daddy or not, the man's definitely hot."

Kendra's smile faded slowly as she started to speak about her dream, her voice not much more than a breathless whisper.

Max watched in horror as her roommate's eyes got a distant, faraway look, the soft touch of a smile still hanging around the edges of Kendra's mouth. Max wasn't even sure why, but suddenly the skin on the back of her neck began to prickle. She had to suppress the urge to growl, her left hand clenching and unclenching, the right hand furiously clutching the coffee pot.

"… and then he took his glasses off, his hair still damp and disheveled." The smile on Kendra's lips deepened and she let out a throaty laugh that caused Max's muscles to vibrate. "He looked up at me … and it felt as if he could see straight into my soul. Wow …" the blonde breathed. And somehow Max was sure it wouldn't take much before Kendra started to lick her lips.

Hot, all consuming anger rose inside her.

Max wasn't jealous, **NO**, just angry about Kendra's girlish, over-romantic fantasies. This was Logan they were talking about … focused, mission-oriented, save the world and protect the downtrodden – Logan … not some well-built, perfectly tanned poster-guy to dream about … but still …

Max's dark eyes shot daggers at her oblivious friend and finally she snarled: **"Kendra … just cut it out!"**

…

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_Fogle Tower, 07:20 P.M._

Max climbed up the stairs to Logan's penthouse almost twelve hours later, trying to burn up some spare energy. Somehow she'd been itching for action all day long, always driving a bit too fast on her bike and therefore getting done at work earlier than anticipated.

Normal hadn't even dared to send her on another run as she'd probably delivered more packages than two of the others put together. So Normal had just clapped her shoulder, murmuring an embarrassing "good work, Max" and had sent her home.

After getting changed at home, Max had killed some time, roaming the streets around "Fogle Towers", using the possibility for one of her weekly security check-ups. She'd even made bigger circles than usually but was still a bit early when she expertly let herself into the dimly lit apartment which towered above the broken city.

Kendra's vivid pictures of half-naked Logan had followed her through the day, and Max had planned to get in and out of "Logan's" as fast as possible. Her whole body screamed for this B & E mission, they'd scheduled for tonight, and she just wanted to grab the blueprints of the building and the coms, Logan had insisted on using to stay in touch after the fiasco at Furrow Airfield a few weeks ago.

Max still felt a tiny bit of this burning anger simmering within her when she thought about this particular evening. What had Kendra said? "Trust me. After Logan tastes this tricolore sauce I whipped up, he will be your sex slave."

_PAH …__ AS IF. This was focused, mission-oriented Logan they were talking about. The guy was obsessed about saving the world. Remember?_

Max had never before invited a guy for dinner, had never before tried to cook for a man, had never before decorated the table with folded table napkins and polished silverware.

She'd been sentimental, somehow thinking this evening might be special and … **caboom** … she'd paid the price. Instantly.

Sad as it was, she'd never before felt so ignored, disappointed, embarrassed …

ALONE.

_Never let your defenses down … emotions are nothing but a weakness … don't let anyone else get close to you__. …_

_**Bla, bla, bla**_.

The evening's infuriating climax had been a poorly calculated jump over a fence which caused herself to land in a mud puddle … HEAD FIRST. And by the time they'd reached Logan's penthouse, she had been frantic – angry about Logan for ruining the evening, angry at herself for letting Logan's behavior get under her skin, angry at life in general for being such a bitch.

Not even a hot shower had been able to calm her. And then she'd said those final words: "You know what Logan? How about a new quid pro quo? Don't call me. I won't call you."

The door that had banged shut behind her retreating form had only emphasized the finality of her decision.

She should have felt relieved, knowing that she was doing the right thing. Working for Eyes Only put her at risk, and looking for her siblings had brought her nothing but trouble. Time was overdue for a change.

_But still, it had felt as if a part of her had died, as if a piece of her soul had been crashed into a million tiny pieces._

…

Max stepped further into the penthouse apartment, trying to ignore the voices inside of her head, a bit of her anger and sudden sadness dissipating as she closed the door softly behind her. There was something about this apartment that always calmed her down, made her feel safe … at home.

The computers hummed softly in Logan's secret office and the scent of fresh soap mingled with the smell of antiques and recently cooked meals. The whole atmosphere seemed so incredibly warm and inviting.

_See, everything's fine_, Max calmed herself. And y_ou're outta here in a few secs_.

She'd already planned every move she was going to make in order to be out of the penthouse as fast as possible, had already outlined the things she'd say, anticipating Logan's answers, although Logan's reactions were never easy to forecast.

Max silently crossed the hall, heading for Logan's office, a clear picture of Logan's unmoving form already in her mind, imagining him how he stared intently at one of his monitors, one hand lifting to unconsciously rub over the back of his head, lips pressed together in concentration. His green eyes would be glued to the screen and every thought would be focused on his newest mission …

_Seattle's savior._

A small smile tugged at her lips as she approached her target area, wondering for a split second about the absence of noise.

But suddenly the door at the end of the hall opened, and Logan wheeled out of the bathroom, a cloud of hot steam following him. He'd put on a pair of jeans but the upper part of his body was still undressed, a mass of tiny, sparkling waterdrops gleaming on his bare chest and shoulders, a small fluffy towel wrapped around his neck.

A soft tinge of read instantly covered Logan's cheeks and his right hand moved quickly upwards to rub the back of his head while he uttered a disbelieving: "MAX?"

**TBC**

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**I know, it's way too short**** and it's un-betaed. SORRY again. **

**Feedback greatly appreciated.**


	2. PART II

**A/N:** First of all I want to apologize for taking so long. SORRY! This is still a part of Lisa's "Christmas in July" present. You can find her wish list in chapter one. DA and all its characters are only borrowed to have some fun.

Hope you enjoy!

**"PASTA TRICOLORE"**

**PART II**

_Logan's penthouse, 7:25__ P.M._

Max's normally so lively figure was frozen into place, a tiny remnant of a smile still curling the corners of her lips upwards - unnoticed. A soft tingle crept inexorably from her neck, over her jaw line, to her cheeks, leaving a pinkish shade on her olive skin.

And finally the smile vanished off her face, being displaced by a rather embarrassed look. Her eyes seemed suddenly large and even darker than normally, deep furrows appearing between her eyebrows. Max shuffled uneasily from one foot to the other, and suddenly every single nerve in her stood on end. Kendra's dream instantly bounced back into her mind at Logan's sight, and her anger at her roommate was renewed with sudden fierceness.

_Ye__p, she'd pay Kendra back for this one, definitely! _

It didn't exactly help that Logan just sat there, a shocked expression on his face, like a deer caught in the headlights. Aside from his breathlessly uttered "Max" he hadn't said a word in what seemed like an eternity.

A small part of Max felt almost magically drawn to Logan, and an even smaller part admitted reluctantly that he indeed looked hot.

_The mission__… I gotta get the coms and the blueprints_, the little soldier in her piped up, adding almost furiously: _**Just do something**__!_

Again Max shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, her eyes detaching from the unusual sight in front of her, dropping to the ground, as if there was something extraordinarily interesting to watch; a crack in the hardwood floor … a tiny dust particle … an invisible hole.

The silence between them became heavier with every second that ticked by, until Max finally sighed, slowly lifting her head. "I'm so sorry, Logan," she murmured. "I should've knocked … or have ringed the bell … or somethin'." Hey eyes dropped to the floor again, and the dark haired girl looked intently at the tip of her shoe.

Again silence stretched out between them, like a gloomy, all consuming vacuum and the two of them seemed to be worlds apart. Both scrambled desperately for something they could say, something that wouldn't sound awkward, something that wouldn't make this embarrassing situation even more embarrassing.

But the sound that suddenly broke through the silence was surprising for both of them. There was a low, rasping sound that slowly turned into a soft snuffle.

Logan's head shot up. His eyebrows furrowed, disbelief written all over his handsome face.

The snuffle became louder and suddenly sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

_Had he ever seen M__ax giggle? _

"Sorry, Logan," she bit out between clenched teeth, clearly fighting to restrain the laughter. Her hands were closed into fists, fingernails digging deep into her palms. Her beautiful lips quivered and her eyes were almost closed. He could see that it took all the strength and self-control she could muster, not to collapse.

_She was laughing about him, wasn't she?_

Anger and embarrassment bubbled up inside of him. This wasn't funny at all!

But somehow he pressed his lips together, deciding not to show that he felt hurt, not to withdraw from her. He took a long, deep calming breath and allowed himself a detached look at the situation, unconsciously breaking a pattern in their porous, nondescript relationship.

Yeah, he sat there in front of Max, his chest bare – **so what?** She'd apologized, and she clearly felt uncomfortable with the situation, so did he really want push her even further away? And didn't she look cute in some way, how she stood like that, fighting the laughter?

He couldn't avoid the warm wave that suddenly crept through his body.

He couldn't avoid the smile that hesitantly lit his face.

And he wasn't able to avoid the first fits of laughter that erupted from his throat, apparently out of nowhere at first and then from deep within him.

"Look at us," he croaked.

Max rolled her eyes, desperately trying to be serious. "Pathetic," she answered.

And finally both of them gave in, convulsing with laughter

_Logan's penthouse, 8:00 P.M._

The atmosphere in the apartment seemed warm and comfortable, now that Logan was properly dressed. The shared laughter seemed to have washed away all awkwardness and embarrassment and left Max and Logan more relaxed around each other than they'd been in weeks. The two of them sat at his kitchen table, bent over a pile of papers, intently studying the blueprints of Northwest Pharmaceutical Inc., a huge Company which had its headquarters in Seattle.

"You know, Kendra told me you'd look hot," Max told him with a shrug and an amused quirk of her lips.

"Uhu, that's nice of her," the cyber-journalist admitted absently, still focused on the blueprints. "I think you should go in here …," Logan pointed his index finger on the building plan. "… through the eastern side entrance. I'll hack into the surveillance system and keep your tracks covered, while I feed them wrong data."

"She told me she dreamt of you," Max's smile became wider, almost teasing now and dropping her voice to a soft whisper she added: "She said your eyes could see straight into her soul, and that you'd made her shiver." The dark haired girl took a big bite of her turkey-cheese sandwich and examined him quizzically.

A first shadow of a blush became visible on his cheeks, but Logan angrily brushed it away.

"**Max**," he hissed, slowly but surely losing his patience. "I thought we were going to plan the mission." He looked up from the printouts, his green eyes reproachful, somehow realizing that he sounded patronizing, even to his own ears. Nevertheless he continued, his voice softening a bit: "This is not the newsstand next door you are going to break into. Their security system is on a pretty high level."

And suddenly the old tension between them was back.

The warmth between them threatened to fly out of the window and both of them felt their defenses shooting up.

For a few seconds they glared silently at each other.

Max pressed her lips together, as the old fury and disappointment, she'd felt just a few weeks ago, resurfaced. _Yeah – it's all about the mission_, she thought. _Obsessing about saving the world again, aren't we? _But somehow she bid her lip, for once deciding not to follow her first instinct and angrily snap at him. _We're doing this for me too, remember?_ A soft voice inside of her reasoned.

"Sir, yes, Sir," she suddenly barked in her best soldier voice, throwing him a mock salute.

And slowly a lazy smile appeared on her beautiful face. Her eyebrows shot up and with a surrendering lift of her hands she admitted. "Yep, you're right mighty Eyes Only. Your field officer better concentrates on the mission than discuss her roommate's nasty fantasies."

Max didn't realize that she had just broken a barrier between them; she didn't notice that she'd just thwarted an old pattern by taking one step ahead instead of two steps back in their everlasting dance around each other. And surprisingly, instead of loosing something in the progress, she did feel a soft tickle of victory.

- TBC -

I know it's only a short chapter, but as I'm not very good with endings and as this felt like a good place to stop, I decided to post now. AND my last update has been far too long ago, so I thought it might be better to post a short chapter than nothing, just to show that I'm still writing. ;-) The story is all planned out and parts of it are already written. I'll try my best to post more regularly now, though I'm afraid RL will not loosen its strong grip on me soon.

I admit it's kinda hard to imagine Logan laughing like that, but somehow I liked to write that part and couldn't bring myself to delete it again.

**As always, comments of any kind will make my day – please let me know what you think and leave a review! :-)**


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